


What are we?

by angel_ponders



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-08-30 04:39:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8518816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_ponders/pseuds/angel_ponders
Summary: The media picks up on the close relationship between Yuuri and Victor, which forces Yuuri to confront him about the nature of their relationship.And then cuddles, because we need cuddles.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man who else feels super bummed about the world? Here, have some Victuuri fluff to soothe your soul.

Yuuri and Victor were having dinner in the common room when it happened. Yuuri often searched for news about himself, especially after a competition. A habit he'd been told by numerous people that he should try to break. The press wasn't always kind and having negative thoughts in his headspace while he competed led to mistakes. But old habits die hard. 

As he was scrolling through the list of articles that mentioned him he stumbled across one that featured him prominently as the featured image for the story. But it wasn't just a picture of him. No. It was one of the pictures taken at the Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyuushi Figure Skating Championship when Victor had spontaneously hugged him.

Yuuri set his chopsticks down and became hyper focused on the article.

"Yuuri?" Victor questioned, noticing the emotional shift in the young skater.

The article was from some English outlet that he wasn't too familiar with. The headline read "Finding Love on the Ice" and immediately launched into speculation about their possible relationship. It included just enough details about Yuuri's skating history and performance at the Championship to still be worthy of being published on a sports oriented website, but it used their pre-program hug and quotes from his press conference that happened afterwards to heavily infer that he was in a romantic relationship with his coach. He'd never encountered such a gossipy article about himself in his entire life.

"Yuuri, what's wrong?"

The younger skater looked up at him in disbelief. He shook his head, unable to articulate his words quite yet, and stood. He turned and exited the room without saying a word. Victor was left confused and suddenly alone at the dinner table, unsure of what could have caused such a dramatic shift in moods.

Yuuri had shut his door and sat on his bed, pulling his knees up to his chest and scrunching his eyes shut like that'd somehow block out the memory of that article. He'd never felt so exposed before. Why would someone write that? When did ice skating become so gossipy? 

Victor knocked on his door and entered without waiting for a response. Yuuri didn't move, but he felt the dip of the bed next to him as Victor sat beside him.

"Please tell me what happened," Victor encouraged gently. He reached out and took one of Yuuri's hands, running smooth circles over his palm with his thumb. "What's causing this anxiety?"

Yuuri finally opened his eyes and looked down at where their hands met. No wonder people were beginning to speculate and gossip. They touched each other so freely. Yuuri did it first, technically, at the Onsen on Ice competition. His nerves got the better of him and he hugged Victor before taking to the ice. He hadn't meant for that to start a pattern of public touching. But somehow they kept hugging and caressing each other in public. He hadn't even considered the impression he was conveying to the press by doing this.

He finally looked up at Victor's eyes and found the courage to attempt to explain. "There's an article..."

"About you?"

"About us," Yuuri said, giving Victor's hand a squeeze. And god, why did squeezing Victor's hand feel so natural and comfortable?

"Oh?" Victor raised his eyebrows, not entirely sure where this was going but starting to piece the puzzle together.

"It implied we were in a relationship," he said. "A romantic relationship. Like a couple."

Victor merely nodded and his face remained judgement free. It was almost as though he wanted to let Yuuri control the tone of this conversation. He did, however, want to nudge it along. "How does that make you feel?"

Yuuri glanced away and considered it. There were dozens of emotions swirling inside him and trying to put it into words was a bit of a struggle. It was even more challenging as they both communicated in English -their second language- so nuances with terms could encounter translation errors on either end. Yuuri was pretty fluent in English, but even he sometimes struggled with subtle nuances.

"Scared, I think. Mostly."

"Why scared?"

Yuuri looked back at him now. "Won't this affect you? Your career or.... or.... I mean, I've read articles about what's going on in Russia. I'm not sure I entirely understand it but I don't want this to hurt you..."

Victor exhaled and smiled. "That's what's bothering you?"

Yuuri blinked. "Y-yes?"

"Don't worry about me. I can deal with the gossip. And I can deal with my country. But besides your fear for me, how does it make you feel?"

"I... I don't know," he said as he lifted their now interlaced hands. He looked at them and squeezed again for emphasis. "This is a couple thing, right? Or is this just normal in Europe? I don't even know when you're being just an overly friendly European or...." Yuuri paused. 

"Or?"

"Or.... f-flirting with me." And that was that. The topic was out there now. His cheeks were flushing now and this conversation was actually happening.

Victor was stoic for only a moment before stifling a chuckle and resting his forehead against Yuuri's knee.

"What? Why are you laughing?"

"Oh Yuuri," he said, pulled back slightly but very much in Yuuri's personal space. "If a cultural difference causes you confusion, please just ask."

"Fine," Yuuri said, slightly egged on by Victor's laughing. "Then just tell me. Is all this hugging and hand holding normal to you? Or do you mean something by it?"

"I definitely 'mean something by it,' Yuuri." Victor lifted his other hand and stroked Yuuri's cheek. "I wasn't sure you felt the same, but you never told me to stop so I figured it wasn't making you uncomfortable."

"It's not," Yuuri responded immediately. And whoa, he hadn't even realized just how comfortable this all actually felt. His heart still raced and his face still flushed, but physical contact with Victor felt so natural. "It doesn't actually bother me. I'm just... afraid."

"Of the press."

"Mostly."

"Mostly," Victor repeated. "But you're also afraid of how comfortable it feels." It wasn't a question.

"Yes," Yuuri said quietly. "What are we, Victor?"

"That's up to you to decide." Victor cautiously placed a kiss on Yuuri's forehead. If was a comforting gesture that left the door open for Yuuri to pull back if he needed. "You can reject me romantically and I'd still be honored to remain your coach."

"Rejected?" Yuuri said, suddenly losing control of his filter. Words started pouring from his mouth faster than he could think. "I couldn't dream of rejecting you, Victor. I've wanted this longer than you know..." He put a hand over his mouth to stop the confession from coming out. 

Victor reached up and gently removed Yuuri's hand, placing a short and chaste kiss on Yuuri's lips. He pulled back to let Yuuri set the pace of whatever they were going to do. If he wanted to continue, Victor would oblige. If he got skittish and needed space Victor would leave him alone. Yuuri held all the power and he didn't even realize it.

Yuuri was still for a moment, but then leaned in a little clumsily to return the gesture. He pressed a more lingering kiss against Victor's lips. It was inexperienced, but Victor hummed contentedly all the same. When Victor attempted to push a little further- running his tongue slightly against Yuuri's closed lips- Yuuri pulled back.

"I think...". He paused. He was a bit too overwhelmed by emotion, but he wanted to keep Victor close. "I think I just want to lay down now. With you."

"Okay," Victor replied, laying down on Yuuri's bed. 

Yuuri curled up next to him, restinf his head on Victor's shoulder and slinging his arm across the older skater's abdomen. Victor laid one arm over Yuuri's to hold him close while the other lazily stroked his dark hair. They lay like that for hours, eventually falling asleep fully clothed on top of the covers. But neither of them minded. It was more comfortable than either of them had ever been.


End file.
